Meet the JMM2016 Panelists

January Music Meeting is back and ready to host some of Canada’s top music industry pros for the second edition of the winter mini-conference. Label, agency, management, festival, publishing, and publicity representatives will converge on the Manitoba Music office to discuss the state of Canada’s independent music industry and provide concrete advice on how to succeed in the ever-changing music business. 

In conjunction with the Big Fun Festival, which will host a special Manitoba Music Showcase, JMM2016 kicks off its three-day on January 29. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain access to tastemakers and experts from across the country while connecting with local artists and industry peers, at a conference designed and held right here in Manitoba. Be sure to take the time to research the speakers ahead of time and check out the full weekend schedule. Here's a little something to get you started...

Andrew King is the Editor of Canadian Musician, Canada’s magazine for amateur and professional musicians and industry professionals. He is a co-host of the popular Canadian Musician Radio program and regularly interviews and interacts with internationally-recognized artists and insiders.

Andy Stochansky is a songwriter and producer living in Los Angeles. His career began as a drummer, best known for his seven years with Ani DiFranco.  In 1999 Stochansky embarked on a solo career releasing three albums independently and two with RCA Victor.  While still signed to RCA Victor, Stochansky signed a publishing deal with Chrysalis Music where he remained as his career evolved to that of a songwriter. Stochansky has spent the last eight years in Los Angeles working with artists ranging from the Goo Goo Dolls to Adam Lambert, an EDM single with Ferry Corsten "Hyper Love" and, recently, co-writing songs with Dragonette for their upcoming 2016 release.

Angie Lamirande is founding partner and creative force behind POP Entertainment & Management with two decades of expertise as an event producer, talent manager, publicist, and marketing manager. Savvy in traditional, digital and social media, she’s done it all - from the creative development of new ideas through smooth execution of a wide variety of production and entertainment. Most recently, you can see Lamirande’s stamp on events such as BreakOut West/Western Canadian Music Awards, Manito Ahbee Festival, Indigenous Music Awards, and the 103rd Grey Cup Festival’s Arrival of The Cup.  As talent manager, she oversees the careers of community organizer and motivational speaker Michael Redhead Champagne and Canadian pop-rock band The Treble.

Brooke Morgan is the Head of Label & Publishing at Paper Bag Records. Morgan joined the team at Paper Bag in 2012 as the label celebrated its 10 year anniversary. In her time at the Paper Bag, she has worked with a number of acclaimed artists including The Rural Alberta Advantage, Born Ruffians, Sam Roberts Band, and Austra.

Dondrea Erauw graduated from the Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College in London Ontario. Not only was she interested in performing and songwriting, but she was also set on finding a career in the music industry. She found herself learning the ins and outs of music publishing at Casablanca Media Publishing in 2011 and has her dream job within music supervision at instinct entertainment since 2012.  Erauw has worked on a number of television shows such as, Beauty and the Beast (Showcase/CW), Degrassi (Netflix/Family Channel), Cracked (CBC), and Open Heart (YTV/TeenNick).

Eric Blouw was called to the Bar in 2015 after obtaining his J.D. from the University of Victoria and his LL.M. from Kyushu University in Japan. As a life-long musician and avid music lover, Blouw has long been interested in the music business. He closely follows the industry, and has written on such topics as sampling in hip hop and public performance royalties. Blouw is a junior associate at Pitblado Law in Winnipeg, where he practices in a wide range of areas of the law.

Jared Falk is the National Publicity Manager for Killbeat Music, a Canadian music publicity company that has worked to gain national attention for more than 400 album releases and tours. You're likely to find a Killbeat artist featured in magazines and newspapers across the country, charting on the R220, R330, and !earshot, nominated for a JUNO Award, or on the short list of the Polaris Music Prize. Falk has previously worked as a music photographer and radio producer. He is a graduate of Red River College's Creative Communications program.

Starting by managing the career of Hey Rosetta!, Jason Burns has become one of the most well-known and competitive managers in Canada. Burns has an education in business and marketing, as well as communications. His work experience includes graphic design, video production, journalism, photography, and of course, drumming. He manages the careers of Hey Rosetta!, Belle Game, Rich Aucoin, Choir! Choir! Choir!, and Plants and Animals. His approach to management is design focused and admin-heavy. In November 2015, Jason joined the team at Arts & Crafts as manager.

Jen Fritz is a music publicist based in Vancouver. After starting out in the radio biz, Fritz began her career in the music industry at Nettwerk and New Music West, before landing at Frontside Group as VP of Media Relations in 2003. During her six years at the helm of the publicity division of Frontside Group, Fritz ran successful national publicity campaigns for many music and entertainment clients, including: Debbie Harry, Matthew Good, Nikki Sixx, Said The Whale, and the Barenaked Ladies. In 2009, Fritz left Frontside Group and began freelancing her PR services with a variety of clients including: VANOC, Strut Entertainment, and Sony Music Entertainment Canada, which ultimately led to the formation of her own successful Music PR firm - Fritz Media.

Julia Train’s history in the Canadian music industry began with her training in classical piano and love of music. She attended the Harris Institute for the Arts, where she studied Recorded Arts Management. Shortly after graduating, she went to work for the CMRRA’s Royalties Administration department before joining the FACTOR team from 2008-11 as a Submissions Coordinator and Communications Manager.  Currently, Train is the Senior Manager, Communications and Outreach at the Musicians’ Rights Organization Canada (MROC), ensuring that musicians receive the recompense that they are entitled.

Julien Desaulniers is the Artistic Producer for le Festival du Voyageur, Western Canada’s largest winter festival. More than 100,000 participants take part during the 10-day festival celebrating the Franco-Manitoban culture and heritage and the joie de vivre of the fur trade era in heart of the Canadian prairies. The festival takes place in 10 venues and features over 125 artists ranging in musical genres from traditional styles to contemporary pop, rock, and hip hop.

Lisa Whynot is an entertainment lawyer and business owner living in Los Angeles. In 2004, she joined EMI Music Canada where, after two years, she became the head of the Business and Legal Affairs department. After having made the move to Los Angeles seven years ago, Lisa joined the team at Hertz & Lichtenstein one of the foremost boutique music law firms in the United States. In 2012, Lisa to develop an entertainment law and strategic partnership consulting firm with offices in both Los Angeles and Toronto. With over 15 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Lisa has represented artists, writers, record labels and new media companies with respect to domestic and international issues relating to music, publishing, digital media law and, more recently, strategic partnerships between artists and brands.

Michael Gorman is an artist manager and partner at Pandyamonium Management (Serena Ryder, Dear Rouge, Alejandra Ribera, Madison Violet, AA Wallace) with over 10 years of experience in the music industry.

Melissa Kaminsky’s interest in the music business began as a teenage concert junkie and continued with booking bands and planning shows for the Pyramid Cabaret in 2006 as part of a work placement program for her university degree. She then moved on to work at different recording studios throughout Winnipeg and landed at Manitoba Film & Music as the Music Program Coordinator for several years. For the last seven years, Kaminsky has been the Event Manager for BreakOut West and the Western Canadian Music Awards, seeing the event through seven different provinces and working with independent artists across western Canada. On the side, Kaminsky has worked with other festivals and events throughout Winnipeg including Interstellar Rodeo, JUNOfest, and Livenation.

An agent with the Feldman Agency since 2005, Rob Wright works with a diverse range of artists, performing around the world in every setting imaginable. In addition to his core business of talent representation, his role at the agency has expanded in recent years, including talent buying and consulting for festivals and corporate events. Wright is also the Vice-President of Solidarity Rock, a not-for-profit organization partnering musicians and artists in North America, Europe, Cuba, and beyond. A musician at heart, he still enjoys playing concerts on occasion 'just for fun' and writing about himself in the third person.

Rodney Murphy is the Manager, A&R for SOCAN. Based in Toronto, he has been working on behalf of songwriters, music publishers, and AV composers with SOCAN for the past 12 years providing creative support and music industry knowledge in an effort to maximize the performance royalties and career opportunities for SOCAN members.

Rosalyn Dennett joined the CIMA and Music Ontario staff in early 2015 as Membership Services Coordinator, and has been busy in the trenches and behind the scenes growing and supporting both organizations’ memberships. She has been active in the coordination of professional development initiatives for CIMA and Music Ontario locally and abroad. Dennett has spent the last nine years as an internationally-successful touring and recording artist, as a founding member of Winnipeg’s Oh My Darling. She moved to Toronto in 2012 and quickly established herself both on-stage and behind the scenes as an imaginative, hard-working member of the Canadian music industry.

Russell D. Dufault practices in all areas of commercial law and assists clients with a range of business and entertainment matters, focusing on music and film. Dufault was a founding member of the JUNO-nominated group The Waking Eyes and is active in Winnipeg’s music community. He is a member of the Law Society of Manitoba, the Law Society of Upper Canada, and is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Bar Association’s Entertainment, Media and Communications section.

Mighty Cypress, founded by Stu Anderson, is an artist management and event production company representing various artists and festivals. Anderson previously spent five years as a booking agent at Paquin Artists Agency.

Tim Jones is an award-winning co-founder of Canadian indie label and artist development firm, Pipe & Hat. Pipe & Hat has launched artists into a steady path of success, including countless awards and nominations, consistent radio charting, collaboration with Grammy Award nominated producers, and performances at dozens of high-profile festivals and conferences around the world. As well, Jones is an in-demand speaker, having been on panels and hosted workshops at conferences in the US, UK, and Australia, and is a regular contributor to Canadian Musician. Pipe & Hat artists can be heard on major network television shows, online programming, and feature films. The company is a four-time Western Canadian Music Awards nominee, with Jones taking home the 2014 award for Manager of Year.  

Tyler Tasson is the Manager of Label Services at ole. Tyler joins ole from Anthem Entertainment/SRO Management where she handled day to day artist management, national and international marketing, events & endorsements, grants, and project management for various album releases.